


The Cure

by nanifairy (ktwrites1530)



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Binhwan - Freeform, Fictional Town, M/M, Mostly Fluff, There are other ships coming out along the way, Triple Kim - Freeform, bobhwan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-10-16 07:17:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17545163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ktwrites1530/pseuds/nanifairy
Summary: Recovering from a breakup, Hanbin drives back to his hometown, Loneliness. At Loneliness, he finds himself at the town's most popular place: Cure for Loneliness, or Cure for short, the town coffee shop, where people meet their match.





	1. Moving Along, 5 Seconds of Summer

_Welcome to Loneliness. Population: 3,520. Where your heart finds its match._

Hanbin grimaced as he cruised past the welcome sign of his hometown, Loneliness, and the irony of it all. Their small town was popular for one thing: despite the name, everyone who seemed to stay and make a home out of Loneliness finds their pair, a match that was seemingly made in heaven.

He turned up the music playing in his car, Cary Brothers’ _Belong_ not doing anything to uplift his somber mood. He wondered if he could disprove his hometown’s mantra. At 23, he had seen his fair share of heartbreaks and breakups, with the most recent one resulting to tossing of clothes and other memorabilia outside the balcony window in what his housemates had dubbed as the ugliest breakup they’ve ever seen. He was tired of telling his sob stories, of going through the motions of having to find someone again, of putting himself out there, and of ending up getting hurt and being alone again.

 _But then again, they make for good art,_ Hanbin thought. He remembered what his editor, Hyorin, had reminded him: he had to try and turn his pain into something else. “Take some time off. Make good art,” she said, after noting the lack of inspiration in his articles for the online magazine publication that he had worked for. She knew Hanbin was going through something, and he was thankful enough that she was the one who initiated that he take a two-week leave.

“You have to send me something after the first week, though. Even just a draft,” Hyorin said with a wink, and then she had sent Hanbin away. He wasn’t given any topic to focus on or a theme that he had to follow— just that he needed to ‘make good art.’

Hanbin shook his head, trying to escape the thought that kept on nagging him ever since he left the city five hours ago. Sure, his breakup with Jaewon was _bad_ , but he was doing quite well until Jaewon had posted photos on his Instagram with his new girlfriend. If ever he was feeling lonely about being single _again_ , that made it a thousand times worse: seeing your ex find someone else just a month after your breakup.

He had tried to dissect it a million times over, because he had nothing else better to do. He concluded that relationships end way before they actually do. In his and Jaewon’s case, it was after their weekend trip in Nami Island when he realized that something didn’t add up anymore. It didn’t click as well as it used to: Jaewon’s laughs were forced whenever Hanbin tried to joke, the disagreements over the little things, the way they get irritated at each other quite easily, and the way the silences stretched to awkward, painful ones.

 _Why did this breakup hurt this much when I had mourned the loss of it even before it ended?_ Hanbin wondered.

And the other part of his brain replied: _Well, because you got replaced right away. Who knew if he was even already seeing her even before your breakup?_

Hanbin shook his head and tried to re-focus on the scenery ahead of him. He had entered the town proper, and it was just as how he recalled it to be back when he was little. Loneliness was a town small enough to have only one of anything: a bakery, a bank, a church, a school, a town hall, a courtyard, a grocery, a cafe, and a restaurant. Everything in Loneliness was quaint and homey, bungalows made of bricks or stones that make for a sturdy foundation, because storms rage through it every three months.

Hanbin pulled over and parked his car at the side of the town bakery. He rolled down the window, and that comforting smell of newly baked bread wafted into his nose, making him smile a bit. He used to get these heavenly cheese rolls from this bakery, and he knew without a shred of doubt that they would still taste the same way as they did ever since he was a kid. He would buy these rolls from the bakery with his younger sister, Hanbyul, and then they would run across the street to the coffee shop.

The cheese rolls weren’t perfect if they weren’t paired with the hot chocolate from the cafe.

Ah, the coffee shop.

The town’s coffee shop, named _Cure for Loneliness_ , was legendary. He had heard so many anecdotes that this was _the_ place where their story had started. If you wanted to find your match in Loneliness, Cure was the best place to kick off that journey, because almost everyone in Loneliness started their day with a cup of coffee (paired with a bagel, muffin, or cheese rolls from the neighboring bakery).

Myth has it that if the owner of the coffee shop introduced you to someone, you need to take note of it, because that person is, in one or another, your match.

Hanbin didn’t believe this, though, even if his parents were a testament to it, having been introduced by the third generation owner of the shop to each other. “Come on, eomeoni,” he had said to his mother at one time, when she had been forcing him to go to the coffee shop to meet someone, “there’s a logical explanation behind it and nothing more. It’s just because everyone in our town goes there.”

His mother would just roll her eyes at him.

A knock on his car window interrupted his thoughts. “Hanbin-ssi, is that you?”

Hanbin turned and smiled widely when he realized who it was. He unbuckled his seatbelt and went down the car, giving the other person a tight hug.

It was Jiyong, the town baker.

“Welcome back to Loneliness!” Jiyong said, patting him on his back, and Hanbin smirked at the greeting as it was very apt in more than one way. “I read your article about the evolution of k-pop and I loved it! You did well, Hanbin-ssi,” Jiyong said upon releasing him.

“Oh, thank you,” Hanbin replied, giving him a bow. He had written that article a year ago, back when inspiration came on a steady stream because of Jaewon. He wasn’t surprised that Jiyong had read it—everyone in Loneliness knew everybody, and they kept tabs on everyone who had left. His mother told him once that everyone who had left Loneliness came back to it, and Hanbin knew his mom was right again.  

“You want to come in and get some cheese rolls?” Jiyong said, cocking his head towards his bakery, and Hanbin couldn’t refuse. He grabbed his rainbow-colored beanie from the passenger seat of his car and then locked it, following Jiyong inside the bakery.

******

Cure was in a state of happy chaos, the usual morning rush that accompanied the start of a new day. Jinhwan was at the backroom collecting the bags of coffee beans his noona, Seiyeon, had asked him to collect. He stooped to pick up the bags one by one, his thoughts mischievous, _Did I go home from the States to co-manage the coffee shop with my noona?_

He knew the answer to that—it wasn’t the main reason he was home. He was back to Loneliness because of his job: he was the architect hired to undertake the burdensome task of renovating what used to be the  magnificent town hall, which was heavily damaged by a fire a few months back. There were so many architects to choose from, and he was the final choice made by the town’s council after deliberations. Jinhwan knew that his being originally from Loneliness played a big factor, and the fact that he had an illustrious career despite having only three years of experience tucked under his belt was only a far second.

He would be starting in a week.

Jinhwan carried the coffee bean bags back to the front of the cafe, and stacked them in the way that Seiyeon had instructed him to earlier. The coffee shop was bustling—the bell by the door had barely stopped from ringing as it signified the people entering and leaving the shop. He straightened up and was about to head to get the milk that was second on his noona’s list when he heard a couple of loud greetings.

“Welcome back, Kim Hanbin!”

Jinhwan frowned, watching the guy that was called Hanbin as he walked towards the table nearest to Jinhwan. The name was familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Hyungnim, noonim,” he heard the guy say, giving bows to the table’s occupant, which Jinhwan had realized was Seunghyun, one of the former baristas of Cure. He was with his wife, Dara, and Jinhwan almost smiled, as they were a product of Cure’s matchmaking, specifically his mother’s. According to Seiyeon, Seunghyun had taken three years before he had plucked the courage to ask Dara out after his mother’s introduction.

“The introduction is just the start, you know. The next big step is making a move,” his mother would tell him and Seiyeon. “Romance is not instant. You have to work hard for it.”

Jinhwan was pretty sure that the gift of seeing which people who enter Cure actually were a match to each other was just passed onto the female side of their family. He didn’t have any evidence to prove that otherwise; he hasn’t stayed in Loneliness for too long to actually test it. And he didn’t want to have such a huge responsibility. It was also a curse, Jinhwan believed, as matchmaking people and changing lives weren’t something that anyone should take lightly. Sometimes people who come into Cure also had unrealistic expectations of the owners and think that their match could be easily be spotted.

It was, after all, a combination of fate and destiny, and not just a simple mix and match of whoever was inside the shop at a certain time.

“What brings you back in town, Hanbin-ssi? Loneliness missed you,” he heard Seunghyun say, taking him back to the moment.

Jinhwan watched as Hanbin tried to hide his smirk but he had miserably failed. It was as if the statement had another, bitter meaning to him.

“I missed it, too,” Hanbin replied, removing his rainbow-colored beanie. _Weird choice_ , Jinhwan thought.  The beanie released a head of brown hair that stuck all over the place. He had sad, soft eyes, Jinhwan noted, and whatever smile he was giving, it wasn’t reaching his eyes. But that didn’t take away the fact that he was handsome, with his long, pointed nose accentuating his oval-shaped face. And his lips—they were plump and pink. He was taller than Jinhwan, lean and seemingly strong.

Jinhwan was about to continue ogling when Seiyeon called him. “Ya, Kim Jinhwan! The milk?”

He snapped out his reverie, giving his older sister a sheepish smile. He headed to the back, grabbing two big jugs of milk. When he turned, he surprised to see Hanbin already at the counter.

“Noona!” Hanbin greeted Seiyeon, who gave him a warm smile.

“Ah, the best writer that Loneliness has ever known!” Seiyeon said, causing Hanbin to blush. He then smiled, the kind revealed a dimple on his left cheek. Jinhwan felt his heart skip a bit at that smile, and he clutched his chest. _You are here at Loneliness to work, remember? Not to find a potential love life,_ he chastised himself.

“Where’s auntie?” Hanbin asked.

“Ah, she retired already, traveling with Father. I think they’re in France now.”

Hanbin reached for the menu that was in front of him, absently thumbing through the pages, unable to keep his hands still. “So you own Cure now?”

Seiyeon smiled. “Yes, me and my brother. Have you met him?”

Hanbin quickly looked up, confusion momentarily showing on his face. He hesitated, and then said, “I’m not sure. He went overseas to study, right? And I haven’t been in town for a while.”

“Aish, he hasn’t been in town either!”

Jinhwan turned, wanting to hide from his sister, but he was too late. He wondered why his sister was spending so much time with this guy when the queue was getting longer. “Jinhwan! Come here.”

Jinhwan took a deep breath, brushing his hands clean against the apron that his sister made him wear, and exhaled loudly. He walked towards the counter, running his fingers through his hair. He felt beads of sweat on his forehead and he knew it had nothing to do with all the carrying that he did—sweating was his nervous tick.

He counted—ten steps to get to the counter—and when he reached, he deposited his sweaty palms into the apron’s pockets.

“Hanbin, meet my dongsaeng, Jinhwan. He’s a couple of years ahead of you in primary school. I think you might’ve met there,” Seiyeon introduced them to each other. “He’s in town for work.”

“Hello, hyung,” Hanbin said meekly, giving him a small wave. He dropped his right hand and kept on patting him chest, and Jinhwan realized that it could be Hanbin’s version of a nervous tick.

Jinhwan decided to be a bit more personal. He extended his hand, which was thankfully less sweaty thanks to the apron now. “Hi.”

Hanbin accepted the proffered hand, taking the elder’s small hand in his. His hand wasn’t that smooth, like he had put his hand under some rough work. _Did Seiyeon mention what this guy does for a living?_ Hanbin thought.

Up close, Hanbin had a chance to survey the man before him. He was shorter than him, with hair parted in the middle and styled in a way that somehow reminded him of Leonardo diCaprio during his younger days. His dark brown hair framed his face perfectly. His skin was porcelain white against Hanbin’s slightly darker complexion.

And then his smile. Hanbin knew that the smile that played on the guy’s small mouth had the capacity to disarm somebody had the guy turned his charms on.

This guy was equally sexy and cute at the same time. _How can that be possible?_ Hanbin thought, and he immediately dismissed it when Seiyeon cleared her throat. They released each other’s hands as if each other’s palms were on fire.

“Maybe both of you can get reacquainted with our beautiful town together since you guys have been away for a while,” she suggested, and if Hanbin wasn’t mistaken, he saw Seiyeon wink.

“Noona,” Jinhwan said through his gritted teeth.

Seiyeon just chuckled. “What? It’s just a suggestion! You have a week before your job begins. And I assume Hanbin here would be around for a few days. Am I right?”

Hanbin’s capacity to lie was seemingly disarmed by the petite lady in front of him. “I’m here for a couple of weeks.”

“There, settled,” she said with a flourish, and then she pushed the menu towards Hanbin. “Even if I know you’d order hot cocoa, as per your usual.”

Hanbin nodded sheepishly, amazed at Seiyeon’s memory. He reached into his pocket for money, but Seiyeon waved it off. “Your drinks would be on the house for the rest of your stay—as long as you honor our deal that you’ll keep my brother company? He doesn’t help much in the shop and I want his sexy butt out of here.”

“ _Noona!_ ” Jinhwan said, slightly louder this time. A faint blush colored his cheeks. “Stop embarrassing me!”

Seiyeon reached for her brother and ruffled his hair, which caused Jinhwan to crinkle his nose in irritation. “I’m just doing my job as your sister _and_ my duty to this cafe,” she said, which made Hanbin’s jaw drop.

 _Did she just… matchmake them? She_ is _the owner now of Cure and... no, it’s not possible. He couldn’t be that damn lucky. He could’ve been just caught up in between bickering siblings and his heartbreak is playing tricks on him. And he doesn’t believe in that myth. It. Is. Just. A. Myth._

He eyed Jinhwan across him, wanting to see how the latter would react.

Jinhwan rolled his eyes. “Whatever,” he replied to his noona.

Seiyeon turned to Hanbin with a satisfied smile. “Jinhwan will serve you your drink.”

Dazed but still not forgetting his manners, he thanked Seiyeon, and then walked back to the table that Seunghyun had reserved for him.

******

“What were you even thinking?”

Jinhwan had pulled his sister to the inner office after letting one of the other baristas take over the counter. It peeved him that Seiyeon was too casual about it, like she wasn’t changing the course of two people’s lives.

“Jinani,” Seiyeon said in a soft, patient tone, “please just trust me on this?”

“You can’t just do this! What if… what if I’m already seeing someone?” Jinhwan countered, which made Seiyeon’s eyebrow rose in question.

“Well, are you?” She huffed, shuffling the papers on her desk. “The only person I’ve heard you talk about _and_ talk to ever since you came back was that Bobby guy.”

“He’s a friend, noona.”

Seiyeon made a gesture that somehow said _well, there you go_ , ignoring the defensive tone in Jinhwan’s voice. “Besides, Jinhwan, the point of this ‘gift’,” she said, making quotation marks using her fingers in the air, “is to match people. It didn’t say for what, exactly, it’s just that you _know_ they would match.”

Jinhwan sighed in frustration. “How does it even work, you see same colors in the people’s auras or something?”

Seiyeon gave him a pointed look, which made him retreat, holding both his hands up in surrender. “Fine, you do you, and I’ll do—”

“Hanbin?” Seiyeon cut in, a mischievous grin on her face, and Jinhwan’s eyes widened in shock. He grabbed the small pillow from one of the chairs in the office and threw it at his sister, who laughed loudly as Jinhwan exited the room.

_Why do sisters have to be such a pain in the ass sometimes?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is a 5 Seconds of Summer song, Moving Along. Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/track/4UQajPk0EPvbwWTl0fYi4C?si=jYaefDWSQSmMuAou6VsIjw


	2. Breathe Again, Sara Bareilles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I have, all I need, he's the air I would kill to breathe  
> Holds my love in his hands, still I'm searching for something  
> Out of breath, I am left hoping someday...  
> I'll breathe again  
> -Breathe Again, Sara Bareilles

_ Hyung, did you reach safely? _

Hanbin shook his head, smiling. Chanwoo, his housemate, had been checking in almost every hour on the dot ever since he left the city. He knew Chanwoo was worried about him because of his breakup with Jaewon—and even more after Jaewon started to be open about his new relationship on social media. Despite being three years younger than he was, Hanbin had always thought Chanwoo was wise beyond his years, always ready to provide Hanbin with sound advice. He was logical, calculated, and reasonable, so on days when Hanbin’s judgement was clouded by his emotions, he turns to Chanwoo.    

_ Yes, Chanwoo-ya. I am at Loneliness now. Don’t forget to drive down to see me next week!  _

Before he left, he made a deal with Chanwoo that on his last week, Chanwoo would go and visit him. He had told Chanwoo some stories about his hometown, and it piqued the younger one’s interest about the place. 

_ Of course, hyung! Hope you’re not lonely anymore by that time ;) _

Hanbin rolled his eyes, that small smile on his face still. 

“Let me guess. Boyfriend?” 

Hanbin looked up, seeing Jinhwan slid a tray with two cups of hot chocolate on it onto his table. Jinhwan removed the drinks from the tray, served one to him, and then placed the other cup across him. He was about to reply when Jinhwan disappeared without another word, and Hanbin followed him with his eyes as he headed back to the counter. When he came back, Jinhwan was armed with another tray: this time with a plate of cheese rolls. Then, he proceeded to set-up the table—two small plates, two forks, two tiny spoons, and two knives. 

“So…? Was it the boyfriend?” Jinhwan prompted, flopping down on the seat across Hanbin after he finished. 

“Was that your way of fishing if I’m single or not?” Hanbin replied. 

Jinhwan’s grin was mischievous as he held Hanbin’s gaze. “Maybe?” There was challenge in the way that Jinhwan looked at Hanbin, and the intensity of the gaze made Hanbin drop his head. 

“Or maybe not,” Jinhwan recanted. “It’s too personal a question anyway, so forget it.”

A hint of panic hit Hanbin.  _ Am I killing my chance before it actually starts? How does flirting happen again?  _ he thought. He told himself to calm down, and then he switched gears. “I’ll answer it if you do.” 

“Then ask me.” 

Hanbin took a deep breath. “Jinhwan hyung, are you still single?” 

“Yes,” Jinhwan answered with a wink. “Your turn, Mr. Kim Hanbin. Are you in a relationship?”

Hanbin stabbed one of the cheese rolls on the plate with his fork, the sound of metal hitting the plate making a loud sound. “No,” he said, slicing a piece of the cheese roll. He didn’t realize how hard he was slicing it until Jinhwan reached out to stop him. 

“Okay, I’ll drop it. Please lay off the roll. It didn’t do anything to you,” Jinhwan said, chuckling, and Hanbin stopped. His gaze landed on Jinhwan’s hand atop of his. His hand was warm, and he couldn’t mistake it this time—there was something in the way that Jinhwan touches him that sends jolts down his spine. He was strangely comforting, like the feeling of coming home to a delicious home-cooked meal at the end of an extremely long, stressful day. 

“Sorry,” Hanbin said, taking in a deep breath and letting it out. Jinhwan gave his hand a squeeze before releasing it, and when Hanbin looked up, he was touched by the sincerity that he saw on Jinhwan’s face, some sort of understanding that he wouldn’t press Hanbin if he didn’t want to share. 

Hanbin took the piece of the cheese roll that he had sliced and then dunked inside the cup of hot cocoa, and then fed himself with it. The chocolate-covered cheese roll melted in his mouth, a mix of warm, sweet, and salty perfection. 

“Ah, you eat it that way, too?” Jinhwan said, amused. He had abandoned slicing the cheese roll and instead had dunked it directly into the hot cocoa, and then biting off a portion of it. He let out a satisfied sigh, and then he grinned at Hanbin.

“What’s wrong?” Jinhwan said, puzzled as Hanbin started cracking up. 

“Um, you have some…” Hanbin’s voice trailed. He then leaned forward, brushing his thumb across the corner of Jinhwan’s lips, where there was some hot cocoa left. Jinhwan’s breath hitched at the move that Hanbin made, but he was able to recover quickly. 

Jinhwan took some tissue on the counter and wiped his mouth clean. “How did you know to eat the cheese roll that way?” 

Hanbin shrugged. He took a cue from Jinhwan and didn’t use the cutlery for the cheese roll this time. After taking a bite, he said, “I vaguely remember another child from school teaching it to me. Why? Didn’t everyone in town know that this was how this food should be enjoyed?” 

“Only after my sister and I told Mom about it. After that she marketed it that way, saying it’s the perfect combination. I think noona and I had never been any prouder of having come up with something like that.” 

Hanbin nodded, finishing one cheese roll in a bite. He took another one from the plate. “Did you come back to take care of the coffee shop?” 

Jinhwan gave him a small smile. “Noona can handle Cure even in her sleep. I came back because of the town hall. The council hired me for the town hall reconstruction.” 

“Whoa, you’re the architect!” Hanbin said, loud enough that the other people at Cure turned to look at their table. He apologized, and then, in a lower tone, said, “Wow, hyung. Daebak!” 

A flush colored Jinhwan’s cheeks. “Aigoo, nothing happened yet. Tell me I’m amazing when the building is done,” he said, obviously embarrassed.

“But Jinhwan hyung, being selected as the architect for it? That’s already an achievement in itself!” 

“The hard work is yet to start, Hanbin,” Jinhwan deflected. “Which reminds me—do you want to go the town hall maybe tomorrow? I only came to town yesterday and wasn’t able to see the site yet. I need to do some pre-work to see if the ideas that I have in mind is actually possible.”  

“I’ve nothing better to do,” Hanbin replied with a dimpled smile, making Jinhwan’s heart flutter again. “I also did say yes to Seiyeon noona’s offer.”  

Slight irritation crossed Jinhwan’s face. “Don’t mind her. I hope that deal won’t force you to hang out with me or anything—”

“No, no,” Hanbin cut in. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it to sound that way. I’m more than okay to hang out, hyung. I have lots of free time.” 

“Okay. I’ll pick you up at ten? I assume the Kims still live at the brownstone three blocks from the high school?” 

“Yep,” Hanbin said, suddenly remembering he hasn’t told his mother yet that he was coming. He intended it to be a surprise, but Cure had been a distraction.  _ Jinhwan had been a distraction _ . And news spread quite fast in Loneliness; gossips even more so. 

Hanbin stood up, sighing. “Which reminds me: my mother would kill me if everyone in town knew I was here and she hasn’t seen me yet. I was supposed to surprise her.”

Jinhwan nodded, even if he felt disappointed that he wasn’t able to get to know Hanbin more. “It’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Yes, 10am!” He brushed the crumbs on his jeans and gave Jinhwan a small smile. Before Jinhwan could say another word, Hanbin was already walking away. 

Hanbin made it into his car but he didn’t leave right away. He started the car but left the car running, going through the events in Cure in his mind. The owner of Cure introduced him to someone, and Jinhwan doesn’t fall short of amazing—at least based on their half an hour interaction. He’s handsome, close to his sister, and carries good conversation. He has a respectable job, and he’s about to renovate  _ the  _ town hall—yes, that same building at the center of the town. Plus, Jinhwan didn’t push when Hanbin’s defenses went up about his previous relationship. 

He has chemistry with Jinhwan. 

_ So what’s wrong with me?  _ Hanbin thought.  _ Why did I run away? It’s not that Mom wouldn’t understand why I didn’t show up at the house right away. She would. So why…?  _

Hanbin buried his face in his hands. He had a plan when he went home to Loneliness: to get over Jaewon. And there were so many ways to moving on, and it included meeting someone new—or at least be open to the possibility of it. They’re both single, they could go out, and there wasn’t anything wrong with that. 

If it didn’t work, at best, he could have a new friend.    

_ But was he ready?  _

******

Jinhwan stared at the abandoned food in front of him, confused. A few minutes have passed since Hanbin left the cafe in a hurry.  _ Did I do anything wrong?  _ he thought. He replayed the events in his mind: how Hanbin reacted when he asked about him being in a relationship (which told him he might’ve just gotten out of one), how he had removed the chocolate smudge on his face and the sheepish smile on his face while he did it, and then how he just left even before they had gotten things going. 

When Jinhwan looked up, he saw his sister walking towards him. She patted his back, leaned over, and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. “Well, nobody said it was going to be easy. Again, it’s not instant,” she whispered, and Jinhwan shrugged. 

“I’m seeing him tomorrow, so I guess there’s a second chance?” 

“Ha!” Seiyeon said, beaming at him this time. “Keep it up, brother!” 

Jinhwan sighed, taking out his phone.  _ Oh boy. What did my sister get me into?  _ Jinhwan thought. Before he could overthink it some more, his phone started to ring, and the weird face showing on the caller ID made him smile. 

“Jiwon,” he whispered, a name that was as familiar to him as his own. He stood up from his seat, leaving the call unanswered, and headed to the inner office, ignoring his sister when she remarked, “Bobby again, is it?” when he passed by her.  

By the time Jinhwan got to the office, Jiwon was on his second call attempt. 

“Ya, Kim Jinhwan, why did it take you took long to answer the damn phone?” 

Jinhwan rolled his eyes as Jiwon’s face filled his screen. “I am still older than you, Kim Jiwon,” he patiently reminded him. He still called him that sometimes even if Jiwon insisted to be called by his other name, Bobby.  

Bobby shifted his position on the other line, and Jinhwan could see that he was lying on his bed, his head of black hair sticking out in all directions. He had covered his body with a blanket but Jinhwan could see that he was shirtless—his bare shoulders were exposed, and he could see his necklaces around his neck.  

“Sorry, hyung,” Bobby said, giving him a toothy smile that exposed his two large front teeth and made his eyes become crescent-shaped slits. His eye smile was one of Jinhwan’s most favorite things about him, one from a long list of things. 

“I thought you’re heading to the studio today? Recording got cancelled?” Jinhwan asked. Bobby was, after all, one-half of iKON, a vocal and rap duo that has been making waves in the underground scene. Their popularity was large enough that they had been recently signed by one of the bigger agencies with a promise of multiple album deals, concerts, and world tours. 

Their first mainstream studio album was what Bobby had been preparing for in the past few months.  _ There won’t be any concerts, much less tours, without any albums, right?  _

Bobby groaned. “No. I’m postponing it to later today. Junhoe also got in late last night. Probably still hungover.”   

“Ah. Junhoe.” 

“Hyung,” Bobby said, laughing at Jinhwan’s flat tone and sudden mood change at the mention of Junhoe’s name. Junhoe was the other half of iKON, and since he had been working closely with Bobby in the past four years, Jinhwan had seen Junhoe and interacted with him way more than he wanted. “Junhoe is harmless,” Bobby continued. “He just really likes you a lot.” 

“I know, and that’s what makes it weird!” Jinhwan said in frustration. “He isn’t… lowkey about how he feels towards me, no matter how many times I tell him I am not looking for a relationship.” 

“Well,” Bobby said, “to some people, sometimes allowing them to show you how much they like and appreciate you—even if you do not reciprocate it—it’s enough.” 

“Such a martyr,” Jinhwan remarked. “I hope he makes good songs out of it, though. Tell him to write about me! Do I get a portion of your royalties if I become his Muse?” 

Bobby chuckled. “Jinani hyung,” he said, shaking his head, a smile still on his face. Bobby was the only one who had called Jinhwan as ‘Jinani.’ “I miss you, hyung. When are you coming back to the city?” 

“Jiwon, I just left the city two days ago.” 

A frown crossed Bobby’s face. “Why does it feel longer?” 

“Because,” Jinhwan said, smirking, “you are not getting your sorry ass off the bed and time feels longer when you’re not doing anything.” 

“Hyung…” Bobby whined, and Jinhwan turned serious, and Bobby knew this was his  _ hyung _ and not his friend talking to him. 

“Jiwon, you’ve worked your ass off to get here. The sleepless nights, the empty bars, the people who tried to pull you down and didn’t believe in you and Junhoe when you guys were still trying to make it into the scene. You were there.  _ We  _ were there. And those times were dark and tough. Remember those times, Jiwon. You have to work even harder to prove you deserve the chance given to you.  _ Stop. Slacking. Off. _ ”

Jiwon sat up on the bed, letting the blanket fall, exposing that he really was shirtless. “What would I do without you, Jinani?” he said with a sigh. He ran his fingers through his crazy head of hair and made it even messier. 

Jinhwan grinned. “You would be jobless, Jiwon. Very jobless.” 

“Speaking of jobs, how’s it going, Mr. Architect?” 

It was Jinhwan’s turn to sigh. “You know it isn’t happening yet. But I’ll go to the site tomorrow.” 

“You’ll do really well, hyung. I just know it,” Bobby reassured him. Then his tone switched, suddenly sounding malicious and mischievous.  “So did you meet anyone there already? Especially since you’re at Cure?” 

“No,” Jinhwan lied smoothly. He had mastered the art of lying to Bobby—he had to, because Bobby could read him very easily. It wasn’t because he wanted to lie to him; there were just some things he didn’t want Bobby to know  _ yet _ , and sometimes it was becoming hard to keep things from him when he was as transparent as clear film to Bobby.   “Haven’t met anyone yet, and I’m not really looking.” 

“There you go again,” Bobby said, and Jinhwan paused, thinking Bobby caught him. “Why do you keep saying you don’t want a relationship? Anyone is lucky to have you, hyung. You are responsible, handsome, cute, sexy, and talented. You give amazing massages, offer great advices, and you take good care of people. Really good care, if you ask me. Your cooking skills still need to be improved, and maybe cleaning up after yourself—”

“Ya, Jiwon!” 

Bobby laughed loudly, his eye smile showing again. “I didn’t say you were perfect. I said you were a catch. There are pros and cons to everyone.” 

“Well, why aren’t  _ you  _ in a relationship then?” Jinhwan said, and Bobby sighed. 

“As you said, I do have to work harder. Work is priority.” He winked, and then his eyes turned soft and sincere. “Besides, why do I need a relationship, when you’re around? You’re like a best friend and a pseudo-boyfriend rolled into one. You take care of me even better than my previous relationships. You have never failed me.” 

Jinhwan stopped at the words ‘pseudo-boyfriend.’ No matter how many times he had tried to analyze his relationship with Bobby, it had always confused him. Bobby  _ is _ his best friend, and the lines blurred for a few times in their decade-long friendship, but they never went there. They never acted on it—whatever it was. It was unspoken, never once brought about and talked about, but they knew where they stood with each other.  

He knew it was why he was still single: the  _ maybe one day we’ll actually act on it _ hope.  

“I try to set a pretty high standard, yes,” Jinhwan replied. He had heard it from Bobby’s exes: four out of five times, the reason for the breakup was Jinhwan, that Bobby had compared each of his exes to Jinhwan far more times than they could handle. 

_ It is always Jinhwan this, Jinhwan that! Why don’t you just go to your best friend and confess, Jiwon? I am tired of playing second fiddle. Settle your shit with your best friend, Bobby. _

That was Bobby’s last breakup, three years ago. Jinhwan was in the other room with Junhoe as Bobby’s girlfriend had walked out of the room, after Bobby remarked Jinhwan would know he only eats white meat parts in his chicken, and she had given him the thigh part. 

Bobby didn’t get into another serious relationship after that. Jinhwan knew about flings, never lasting longer than a month. 

“Hyung, do you realize,” Bobby said slowly, “that we’re each other’s longest relationship?” 

Jinhwan looked at Bobby on his phone’s screen. A hint of melancholy was in Bobby’s voice, and it was paired by a sad smile on his face. Jinhwan sunk further into the couch where he was seated, sighing. The silence hung in the air, eerie and thick. He gazed at Bobby and he stared back at him, his eyes unreadable, the unspoken words left hanging between them. 

“I intend to keep it that way,” Bobby said after a few minutes of silence, his voice firm and with so much promise. 

“Yeah,” Jinhwan whispered. “Me, too.” 

“Thank you.” 

Jinhwan swallowed, unable to take in the emotional route that their conversation had taken. Before he could say another word, Bobby gave him his best smile. “Hyung, I have to get moving. Have to be at the studio soon. Call you later?” 

“Of course,” Jinhwan said, forcing a smile. Bobby waved at him and then his phone screen went black as Bobby ended the call. 

Jinhwan heaved another sigh, shaking his head. He picked up his phone again, sending out another message:  _ Hey, you free now? I’ll drop by.  _

He didn’t have to wait for long as the reply was almost immediate:  _ Sure, hyung. Come over! _

Jinhwan needed to digest all of that, and he knew just the person who would listen. 

******

“You get back in town, and you still have the same issue.” 

Yunhyeong set the plateful of pancakes, bacon, and sausage in front of Jinhwan. Jinhwan said he wasn’t hungry, but Yunhyeong insisted that he should eat. He was right; the sight of the food and the smell of freshly-cooked pancakes and bacon made Jinhwan’s stomach grumble. Yunhyeong always made sure Jinhwan was fed; after all, he owned the sole restaurant in Loneliness,  _ Semper _ . The plate was followed by freshly-brewed coffee—not as good as how they make it in Cure but it was still way better than other coffees Jinhwan had tasted. 

Jinhwan buttered the pancakes and lathered them with the maple syrup. He finished a bite before speaking. “I know,” he said. “So what do I do?” 

Yunhyeong groaned in frustration. He had known Jinhwan back when they were in primary school, but they lost contact when Jinhwan moved to the States to study. They only re-connected during one of Jinhwan’s vacations in Loneliness, and kept in contact since. 

And ever since then, Yunhyeong heard about Jinhwan’s stories about Bobby, and he knew who Bobby was to Jinhwan.

“Hyung, you already know what to do,” Yunhyeong said, his voice strained, as he fixed the napkin into a crane. “If Bobby wanted to be something more with you, he would’ve done it already. But he hasn’t. And you just can’t keep on waiting for him.” 

Jinhwan looked at Yunhyeong apologetically. This wasn’t the first time he heard this from Yunhyeong, and he was amused that Yunhyeong hasn’t gotten tired of saying it. 

“Jinhwan hyung, here’s a new guy,” Yunhyeong pressed. Jinhwan had told him that he was introduced to Hanbin. “This is  _ another  _ new guy. This is what? New guy number 15? Is this going to be another guy you would pass up because you want to wait again for Bobby to ‘fess up? Or better yet, why won’t you actually do the honors and confess, huh?” 

Jinhwan set his utensils down on the plate. “Because I don’t want to lose him.” He also told Yunhyeong this multiple times already, they should’ve just recorded their conversations about this topic and replayed it to save them both the time and energy. 

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Yunhyeong said, rolling his eyes. “But you guys aren’t doing each other a favor by keeping your feelings, you know? You’re so scared to lose each other that you are driving and pushing other people away! These could be people who can make your life better, who can treat you better—” 

“Bobby treats me right, Yunhyeong-ie.” 

Yunhyeong grunted. “As your best friend, yes. But as someone who loves you—if he really does love you—he wouldn’t just let things be the way they are, hyung. He would go for it because he, of all people, would know that it’s going to be worth it.” Yunhyeong took a deep breath. “Okay—don’t you think that if you confess, and on the off-chance he says that he didn’t feel the same way, your friendship wouldn’t survive? Your friendship that has gone through  _ a lot _ , mind you, wouldn’t survive  _ that _ ?” 

Jinhwan swallowed the lump in his throat. “I don’t know. I’d like to think it should, but I never wanted to risk it.” 

Yunhyeong slapped his hand on the table, making Jinhwan jump in his seat in surprise. “ _ Hyung, if you don’t take risks you won’t get anywhere _ !” he said loudly, and Jinhwan was thankful that Yunhyeong had taken him to one of the restaurant’s private rooms. “Keep Bobby or lose Bobby, I don’t care anymore. It all boils down to you actually taking a risk. And I’m tired of telling you to confess to Bobby because I might just die of old age before that happens.” 

Jinhwan rolled his eyes, but he was smiling a bit. Yunhyeong liked to exaggerate, but he knew the possibility of Yunhyeong being old and both Bobby and Jinhwan retaining their status quo was highly likely. 

“So we go down the other path,” Yunhyeong continued. “Can you at least promise me that you would try with this new guy? Like really try it this time. You won’t cancel on him or ghost him, just like how you did with the past I-don’t-know-how-many guys.”

The plea in Yunhyeong’s voice was palpable, and Jinhwan felt guilty with putting Yunhyeong through this every single time there was someone new coming into his life and he would get scared as to how it would affect him and Bobby. 

Yunhyeong moved so that he was eye-to-eye with Jinhwan, and he could see the determination in Yunhyeong’s eyes. “Hyung,” he said, his voice firm, “promise me.” 

Jinhwan sighed. “Fine. I promise,” Jinhwan relented. “Then you better have a private room reserved for me tomorrow night at dinner time. Dinner for two.” 

“Done,” Yunhyeong said, triumphant. He took a piece of bacon from Jinhwan’s plate and bit on it. “Tell me what’s the plan for the first date or whatever you want to call it, and I’ll help you execute.” 

A smile spread across Jinhwan’s face.  _ I went to the right place,  _ he thought, as Yunhyeong started to outline food options that he could cook for his and Hanbin’s dinner.  


	3. Chapter 3: Dog Days are Over, Florence + the Machine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happiness, hit her like a train on a track  
> Coming towards her, stuck still no turning back  
> -Dog Days are Over, Florence + the Machine

Hanbin woke up to the sound of laughs and giggles coming from outside his room.

_Where the hell am I? Was that a girl’s laugh?_

It took him three full seconds to realize he was at Loneliness, in the bedroom he had since he was a kid. There was some sense of relief that came over him that he was home, away from the city, away from everything that reminded him of Jaewon.

He heard another laugh, but this time, it was a man’s laugh, which made him frown. His father wasn’t home. _So, who’s the guy_?

Hanbin sat up on his bed, stretching his back and arms. He reached for his phone and—

“Oh shit.”

The time made Hanbin literally jump out of bed and scramble, dashing towards his wardrobe. He didn’t have the luxury to check if the pieces that he was selecting matched at all; he just grabbed the first shirt and first pair of jeans he could find and hastily put them on.

It was, after all, 12:15pm, and Hanbin was more than two hours late for his meet-up with Jinhwan.

_Do I have time to brush my teeth?_ he thought, and then rushed to bathroom next to his room. You shouldn’t skip dental hygiene especially when you would issue an apology—or when you must go and meet that really cute guy who made your heart flutter. 

Panic rose in his chest. Hanbin couldn’t sleep because he was going through it over and over again: if he was ready, if it was okay to start going out, if this was the path to ‘recovery’ that he wanted to take. His brain was on overdrive and he had spent the wee hours of the morning tossing and turning in his bed, and it was already daybreak when he fell asleep.

Hanbin thundered down the hallway, heading for the front door. He didn’t have Jinhwan’s number— _Why in the world didn’t I think to ask for it yesterday?_ —and he needed to get to him, to explain to him that he didn’t intend to ditch him and the town hall.

“Mom!” he yelled, grabbing his car keys from the table near the front door. “I need to—”

“Hanbin-ah, your friend Jinhwan is here!” his mom called out from the kitchen.

Hanbin froze. _Jinhwan is what?!_ His heart pounded loudly, as if wanting to get out of his chest. He tried to catch his breath, wondering if he heard it correctly. He dropped his car keys back onto the bowl from where he took them and slowly turned, taking small, calculated steps on the way to the kitchen adjoining the dining room.

He took another deep breath before hazarding a peek through the kitchen door, and true enough, Jinhwan was there, seated next to his sister, Hanbyul, whose face has dots of what seemed like white powder. Jinhwan’s hands were covered in white powder also, and he realized Jinhwan and his sister were making dumplings. His mother was standing near the stove, where she was stirring something inside a deep pot.

“Um…” Hanbin started, unable to think of a word to say. “What…?”

Jinhwan looked up and greeted Hanbin with a sheepish smile. “Hey,” he said, eyes soft on Hanbin, which made him feel slightly guilty.

“Jinhwan-ssi here came over and said that he was picking you up. I was going to wake you, but he said he’d rather let you sleep,” his mother said by way of explanation.

“So… you invite him to stay for lunch?” Hanbin said slowly.

“And breakfast, too! He’s been here since 10AM,” Hanbyul piped in, flashing her oppa with a toothy smile. Hanbin couldn’t help but grin at the way she looked; she and Jinhwan must have started to play while making the dumplings and Hanbyul lost, having more dots on her beautiful face than Jinhwan.

“Byul-ah, bring the dumplings that you and Jinhwan made here. Then please clean up. Lunch will be in ten minutes,” Hanbin’s mom said, and Hanbyul followed, collecting the plates and the dumplings. She passed them over to her mother and then proceeded to take a rag to clean off hers and Jinhwan’s mess.

Hanbin passed by his sister, ruffling his hair when he did. She wrinkled her nose but didn’t complain, and then after cleaning, she disappeared into the first-floor bathroom. Hanbin took the seat that Hanbul vacated and sat next to Jinhwan.

“I am so, so sorry. I overslept and—”

“Shh, Hanbin, it’s okay. I had a great time with your mom and sister,” Jinhwan cut in, reaching out to touch Hanbin on the hand but stopped when he realized it was still covered in flour. “You and your sister look so much alike when you were babies.”

The teasing in Jinhwan’s voice didn’t escape Hanbin. “Eomma, you showed him my baby pictures?!” Hanbin said, his face turning red in embarrassment.

“Your sister did!” Hanbin’s mom said, laughing.

“I remember you from primary school now,” Jinhwan said, taking the towel that Hanbin’s mom had passed him. Hanbin’s eyes widened in shock, his face turning into an even darker shade of red.

“Even my childhood photos?!” he said. “ _Oh my god_ , eomma, why didn’t you stop Byul-ah?”

Both Jinhwan and his mom were laughing now.  

“You looked really cute in specs, Hanbin,” Jinhwan added, making Hanbin groan. “Especially when you made this pose?” Jinhwan raised his right arm, holding up two fingers, and then placed his left hand under his right underarm. His lips were in a straight line.  

Hanbin’s jaw dropped when he realized what pose Jinhwan was mimicking—that pose that was in his elementary school yearbook. Due to further embarrassment, he buried his face in his hands. “Oh god, please stop,” he said, and he could hear his mom and Jinhwan chuckling.

When Hanbin finally looked up a few minutes later, Jinhwan was trying to laugh quietly, tears already streaming down his face from too much laughing. When he turned to his mother, she had the same happy look on her face, too. He felt his heart stop for a split-second—a sudden surge of emotions flooding in.

And then… Hanbin smiled. Maybe it was worth it, being the butt of the joke, to see his mother smile like that.

“I have to see childhood photos of you, too, just to be fair, you know,” Hanbin said to Jinhwan, and Jinhwan shrugged. “They’re hella embarrassing, but I don’t mind.”

“See, Hanbin-ah, Jinhwan is a good sport,” her mother said, winking at him. Hanbin nodded at his mother, who hasn’t asked yet why he was home, but he felt that she knows it already. Mothers almost always do.

Hanbin turned to Jinhwan, who didn’t come out unscathed from his playing with Hanbyul. He took the towel that was in Jinhwan’s hand and made the older guy face him. He leaned closer, and he could feel the intensity of Jinhwan’s gaze on him. “Hanbyul got you quite good, too, you know,” he said in a low voice, brushing off some of the white powder on Jinhwan’s hair. He heard Jinhwan’s breath hitch with his move, but he didn’t drop his gaze.

He then proceeded wipe the powder on his chin and right cheek, trying to concentrate even if Jinhwan’s stare made it hard to do so. Their faces were so close to each other he was thankful he had the wits to brush his teeth earlier. He swallowed the lump in his throat, momentarily catching Jinhwan’s eye, and he slowly brushed his fingers against Jinhwan’s right cheekbone.

“Hey, you have a heart-shaped mole here,” Hanbin whispered, his breath warm on Jinhwan’s face.

“Y-yes,” Jinhwan managed, his voice strained. It was his turn to swallow, and then he let out a shaky breath.

“It’s adorable.”

A hot pot of sundubu jjigae sliding across the table made them spring apart. Hanbin looked guiltily at his mother, who was standing at the edge of the table, a patient smile on her face. “I think Jinhwan’s face is clean now,” she said, a glint in her eyes.

“Y-yeah,” Hanbin stammered, dropping his head and exhaling loudly. “I’m going to fix the table,” he declared, standing up, and Jinhwan also stood up. He had his phone in his hand, and Hanbin saw that someone was calling him. He thought Jinhwan was going to answer, but he pressed cancel, and Hanbin looked away when Jinhwan caught him watching.

“I just need to use the toilet for a moment. Do excuse me, Hanbin, Mrs. Kim,” Jinhwan said, bowing before he exited the room.

Hanbin’s mom passed him the plates, bowls, and chopsticks, and Hanbin proceeded to arrange them on the table. “He seems to be a good guy,” his mother said quietly.

“You’ve known him for two hours, Mom,” Hanbin said, teasing.

“Which, from what I’ve gathered, is far longer than you’ve known him.”

Hanbin flashed her a look, raising an eyebrow in question. “Jinhwan said he met you yesterday at Cure, and you talked for only half an hour. So, I think I have better authority in saying that he seems to be a good guy. Plus, mother’s instinct,” his mom replied to his unspoken question. “He _is_ a good guy, Hanbin-ah.”

He quietly set the table for four, mulling over his mother’s statement. He took the rice from the cooker and transferred it into a big bowl, and then prepared the side dishes. His mom fixed the now cooked dumplings onto a plate and then passed it over to him. There was some bulgogi, too, and his mouth watered at the sight of all the food. He missed this: making the home-cooked meals with his mother, the quiet… the peace. Life in the city was fast, his work deadlines sometimes even faster, and it sometimes wears down the soul.

Satisfied with the table and food setting, Hanbin looked up at his mom with a small smile, and she went over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “Get Hanbyul and Jinhwan?”

Hanbin nodded, pressing a kiss atop his mom’s head. He was walking out of the dining room when he ran into Hanbyul. “Food!” she said, and Hanbin nodded. He wandered down the hall towards the bathroom, but he found it empty, Jinhwan nowhere to be found. He was about to head to the living room when he heard a voice from outside the front door.

_Jinhwan’s outside?_

He took a few steps towards the door and cracked it open a bit, not wanting to interrupt Jinhwan’s call. However, the opened door led him to hear a bit of Jinhwan’s conversation—

“Look, I’ll call you when I get home, okay? And please eat and don’t starve yourself,” Jinhwan said.

“Yes, hyung,” the person on the other side of the video call said lazily. “Miss you, bye!”

_Who was that?_ Hanbin thought, and before Hanbin could ponder on it longer, Jinhwan turned, making him take a step back. Jinhwan entered the door and frowned when he saw Hanbin standing on the other side of it.

“I—” Hanbin started, wanting to say sorry, but thought against it. “Mom said lunch is ready.”

Jinhwan nodded. He showed Hanbin his phone and then said, “My best friend. He’s one clingy guy.”

Hanbin wasn’t asking for an explanation but he was kind of glad it was offered. “Let’s go?” he said, cocking his head towards the kitchen.

“I hope Byul-ah and I didn’t screw up the dumplings,” Jinhwan quipped, and Hanbin grinned.

“Don’t think you can go wrong with dumplings… can you?” 

“Hanbin-ah, there’s always a first time for everything.” Jinhwan pushed him through the doors of the kitchen and dining room, where Hanbin’s mother and sister were waiting.

******

By the time the lunch was finished, it was already three in the afternoon. It’s been five hours since Jinhwan arrived at Hanbin’s doorstep, but the last few hours never felt like a chore. In the past, with the other guys that he had the guts to show up for, talking was hard work, like they were going through a checklist of topics because otherwise crickets would be heard over the silence.

_Was it because his family was there?_ Jinhwan thought. But that, too, was also a first—meeting the guy’s family even before the first date. Okay, granted he already knew about the Kims even before, but he never really had any interactions with Hanbin’s family prior to this.

Jinhwan was getting ready to leave after he and Hanbyul have finished cleaning up, putting on his coat. He high-fived Hanbyul, who surprised him by giving him a quick hug around the waist. “See you again soon, Jinhwan-ie oppa,” she said, before running to her bedroom. He looked up just as Hanbin appeared at the entrance of the kitchen, looking fresh and more put together than earlier this morning.

Jinhwan almost groaned in frustration. _How is it possible for anyone to look this good just by wearing a pair of jeans, sneakers, and a white shirt?_

“You still up to going to the town hall site, hyung?” Hanbin said, placing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I’m really sorry for oversleeping.” The way Hanbin shifted his gaze from the floor to meeting Jinhwan’s eyes made Jinhwan stop.

“I told you, it’s okay. I really had a great time with your family today,” he replied, recovering quickly. “It’s better than going to the site.”

“Oh, they also enjoyed, hyung,” Hanbin assured him. Jinhwan was unsure how to proceed, so he pocketed his phone and then took a step towards the door.

“Hyung,” Hanbin said, stepping towards him, blocking his way.

Jinhwan frowned. “Yes, Hanbin?”

“Um,” Hanbin started, his right hand now on his chest, tapping it. “So, the site?”

“Ah. How about a rain check on that?” Jinhwan said, and Hanbin’s disappointment was obvious. _I thought the day was going well?_ he thought.

“How about we just walk around town for today? We can go to the town hall tomorrow—no biggie,” Jinhwan added with a small smile.

Hanbin dropped the hand that was patting his chest, relief flooding his face. “Yes!” he said with too much enthusiasm that it made Jinhwan smile wider. Hanbin cleared his throat. “I mean, yes… that sounds like a plan.”

“Let’s go?” Jinhwan said, cocking his head towards the door. They started to walk, with Hanbin grabbing his jacket on the way out.

“Where to, hyung?”

A meaningful smile lit up Jinhwan’s face. “The elementary school.”

Hanbin paused, trying to read the smaller guy’s face, but he was unable to figure it out. He decided to just go with the flow.

“School it is,” he said, closing the door behind them.

******

“You know, my friend works here.”

Jinhwan looked at Hanbin as they walked side-by-side to the five blocks to the elementary school. The high school was closer to Hanbin’s house, but that wasn’t Jinhwan’s target destination. Thankfully the afternoon sun wasn’t too hot, some cool wind blowing, perfect for an afternoon walk. They walked very leisurely, their hands in between them sometimes brushing against each other. He was tempted to grab hold of Hanbin’s hand so that his didn’t feel as empty, but not yet.

The timing’s not right yet. He knew Hanbin just got out of a relationship, one that he still gets bitter over, so it wasn’t time yet.

“Oh yeah?” Jinhwan said, putting his hand in the pocket of his jacket to avoid the temptation of Hanbin.

“Yeah, he’s teaching first- to third-graders,” Hanbin replied. “Known him since we were kids. Maybe we’ll see him. I haven’t visited him in a while.” He then regarded Jinhwan with a curious look. “So why the school, hyung?”

“I’ll tell you when we get there,” Jinhwan said, winking. He took a deep breath and decided to take on another topic. “Your mom says you’re a writer?”

Hanbin nodded. “Yeah. I write for _The Inquirer_. Features, mostly, but my editor’s teasing me to take on an advice column.”

“Ooh. Are you taking it?”

Hanbin chuckled. “I can’t even fix my life. How am I going to advise people on how to do theirs?”

“I do think sometimes people are just looking for someone who will listen? Just a way to vent out those emotions and troubles,” Jinhwan offered. “Your editor must have seen some wisdom in you, Hanbin, to ask you to consider an advice column. Maybe it’s something to think about?”

“Yeah. I’ll think about it,” Hanbin said with a shrug. “How long would you be in town, hyung?”

Jinhwan hummed. “I’m not exactly sure yet. Normally I stay for the first few months of the project, and then once they’re well underway in the project, I go for regular check-ins. I might make an exception for Loneliness, though, since it’s my hometown? And since my parents are travelling all over, my sister’s alone. She and I are in-charge of Cure now.”

“You don’t have any other projects ongoing now?”

“I do,” Jinhwan said. “I have some lined up, and I’m pitching for other projects. It’s a good thing my agency is fine with me working from here while I take on the townhall project.” They turned at the corner, the school almost in sight. “How about you, huh? How long are you staying here?”

“Couple of weeks and then back to the city for me.”

“You don’t drive down here often?” Jinhwan asked, and a flash of guilt crossed Hanbin’s face. It was something he had felt guilty of, not going back as often as he should to visit his family. Sometimes his mom was the one going to the city to see him because he didn’t go home as much.

“The city life caught up with me,” Hanbin said sadly. “Being here, though, made me realize how great it is to be away from the hustle and bustle of the city? And the feeling of being with family…”

“Best feeling in the world, huh?”

Hanbin nodded. “Yeah.” He turned to look at Jinhwan, touching him on the arm. “Hyung, I forgot to thank you for earlier. Mom and Hanbyul had so much fun and—”

“Hanbin,” Jinhwan said softly, placing his hand atop Hanbin’s, and he saw the faint smile on Hanbin’s face when he did. “It was perfect, and I won’t have it any other way, okay?”

“Okay,” Hanbin whispered. His next move surprised Jinhwan—Hanbin turned Jinhwan’s hand in his, and held his hand, filling up the spaces between Jinhwan’s with his. He left it loose, giving Jinhwan an option to pull back. Both looked at their joined hands, as if it was something foreign, a hand in another, empty spaces filled up.

Jinhwan gulped, the flurry of emotions making him feel nauseous. His heart was beating so loud in his chest that he feared Hanbin could hear it. He wasn’t going to hold his hand, he told himself earlier, but if it was Hanbin who initiated it, why should he turn away?

Jinhwan locked his fingers with Hanbin’s, tightening the formerly loose grip. And then he smiled at him, and the hesitation on Hanbin’s face was eased. Without any other word, they started to walk again, their joined hands slightly swinging as they do.

******

The school was in a bit of chaos when they arrived as the classes had been let out. They tried to steer their way through the flurry of students, school buses, and parents who are picking up their kids, and it took them ten minutes to reach the school’s entrance.

“Kim Hanbin?”

Hanbin turned, and then smiled widely when he saw who it was. “Dongdong!” he said, releasing Jinhwan’s hand and hugging the guy who called him, giving him a clap on the back.

“Hyung, Dongdong was ages ago. I’m Donghyuk now,” the guy said, a sheepish smile on his face. He was charming, no doubt, and he had a smile that can make anyone feel at ease.

Hanbin laughed. “Donghyuk, this is Jinhwan hyung,” he said, introducing the two men to each other. “He’s also from around here.”

“Hey, you’re the architect guy for the town hall!” Donghyuk said, offering a hand towards Jinhwan, who gladly shook it. “I trust you’re the friend Hanbin said is working here?”

“Yeah, I look after the kids,” Donghyuk said, and as if on cue, a little girl in pigtails appeared, tugging at Donghyuk’s shirt. Her face was tear-stained, and she held her right forefinger towards Donghyuk.

“Teacher, I got a cut,” she said, her voice wobbling. Donghyuk knelt and inspected the finger, and true enough, it was bleeding. “Oh, Naeun,” he said softly. “We’ll take of this.”

Donghyuk turned to Jinhwan and Hanbin. “I need to take her for first-aid. What are you guys doing here, by the way?”

Hanbin turned to look at Jinhwan, and Jinhwan scratched his head, as if the reason that he invited Hanbin to the school was now sounding foolish. “I… I wanted to see something inside. Is it okay if we go in?” he said, and Hanbin almost grinned at his lousy excuse.

“Yeah, sure. The school’s almost empty anyway,” Donghyuk said easily. “Catch up with you later, Hanbin?”

“Yes, bro. See you!”

They watched as Donghyuk disappeared back into the school, the little girl’s hand in his. “Are you good with kids?” Hanbin asked Jinhwan suddenly, and Jinhwan’s jaw dropped open slightly.

“Sorry, that was a random question,” Hanbin said, shaking his head. “Forget it, hyung—”

“I’d like to think so?” Jinhwan cut in. “I have the patience for them, and they seem to like me. Probably because I also look like a kid.”

“Hyung!” Hanbin laughed hard enough that his shoulders were shaking. When he recovered, he placed his arm over Jinhwan’s shoulders. “You’re baby-faced, hyung. I even look older than you are.”

“Hmm… yeah,” Jinhwan said, as he cocked his head towards the entrance of the school.

“Wow, you didn’t even deny it. I’m hurt,” Hanbin said, but the big grin on his face said otherwise. They pushed open the doors of the school, and paused when they got in, taking in the pristine white walls and the shining floor of the hallways. There were a few students scattered here and there, but it was already quiet inside.

“Why are we here again, hyung? What is it that you wanted to see?” Hanbin said, looking at Jinhwan.

“I told you I remembered you from school, right?” Jinhwan said, and Hanbin nodded.

“That’s why we’re here.”

Jinhwan shrugged off Hanbin’s arms over his shoulders, leading the way. “Come on, Hanbin-ah. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.”

Half-confused and half-curious, Hanbin followed Jinhwan, who searched for the signs going to the school library.


End file.
